Means for propelling ships.



No. 802,648. PATENTED 0011.24, 1905.

J. G.- KUNST.

MEANS FOB, PROPBLLING SHIPS.

APPLUATION FILED DEG.20,1904.

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No. 802,648. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905. J. G. KUNST.

MEANS FOR PROPELLING SHIPS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG.20,1904.

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llllNlTED STATES PATENT OEETUE@ WIEANS FOR PHOPELLING SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application ledDecember 20, 1904. Serial No, 237,692.

To LZ/ 'wh/071e it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANN CONRAD KUNST, merchant, a subject of theGrand Duke of Oldenburg, residing at Brake, in the Grand Duchy ofOldenburg, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in lMeans for Propelling Ships, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for propellingships; and it substantially consists in arranging within a paddle-wheela motor adapted to drive the said wheel. This motor can be asteam-turbine, an electromotor, or any other motor suitable for thepurpose.

In the annexed drawings one form of the invention is illustrated by wayof example.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a paddle-wheel provided with aturbine-engine, the axis of revolution of the said wheel being at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the ship. Fig. 2 is a section of thepaddle-wheel and casing with the engine removed.

In the ease illustrated the wheel is on the starboard side of a steamerand an exactly similar wheel and engine are arranged on the port side ofthe vessel, and the two engines can be run in the same direction,forward or backward, or, if necessary, one of them can be reversed, asin the case of a twin screw steamer.

The paddle-wheel comprises a cylindrical water-tight drum 11, providedat its outer circumference with fixed paddles 12, which arecomparatively long, but not of great width. This drum is fixed to theouter casing 13 of a turbinewfor instance, a Parson turbinemso that whenthis casing is revolved by the action of the steam the drum is alsorevolved. The water carried upward by the paddles is discharged throughthe openings 32 in the fixed sheet-iron box or casing 33 and then flowsdownward therein. For the purpose of preventing damage to the paddles bycoming into contact with the ground keels 3d are provided, which extenddownward below the level of the outer edge of the lowerrnostpaddle-blade.

The turbine-casing is provided at both ends with hollow journals 14 and15, one of which, 14, serves for the exhaust of steam from the turbine.The exhaust steam passes through the vertical tube 15 into thecondenser. The

hollow journals 14 and 15 are supported by bearings 18, which can. forinstance, be provided in the usual manner with brasses of white metal orpockwood. Said bearings can be screwed lirmly to the lateral walls ofthe wheel-box 17.

For the purpose of protecting' the turbine against cooling a thick layerof felt 19 can be provided, and an inner drum 20, fitting tightly i intoa stuffing-boxQL is provided to prevent the entrance to the chambers 23of the seawater which may penetrate through the joint between thecircumference of the flanges 22 and the outer drum 11 of the wheel. Alayer of felt 2.4, impregnated with oil and inserted between the drums11 and 20, serves for further insulating' the heat. It may therefore beassumed that the loss of energy through condensation is not greater thanusual, notwithstanding the arrangement of the turbine inside thepaddle-wheel.

The live steam is supplied to the turbine through the tubular shaft 25,which is prevented from rotating by two horizontal bolts 26. /Vith thisshaft communicates the inner casing 27 of the turbine, to which is fixedone of the sets of the turbine-blades. This inner casing is notrotatable, contrary to the usual practice in turbines of this kind, andis fixed to the tubular shaft 25. Thelatter has therefore to bear thewhole torque of the engine and must be of suiticient strength to resistthe rotational strains and the strains resulting from the internalsteam-pressure- To the flange 2S can be directly connected the mainsteamvalve or a throttle-valve adapted to be operated by means of ahand-lever. The tubular shaft 25 is steam-tight with regard to thechamber 30 ofthe turbine by means of a stuifing-box 29, so that no steamcan pass from said chamber 30 into the engine-room. The tubular shaft 25is preferably supported by the bolts 26, already referred to, so thatthe dead-weight of the inner body of the turbine does not bear on thestul'ling-box. The righthand end of the inner easing 27', as seen inFig. 1, is supported, by means of a hollow journal 30', in a bearing 31,which is integral with the box or casing 32 and with the gudgeon14.-. Tothe bearing 31 is also lixed the small bearing 33', which prevents thedisplacement of the inner turbine-casing with regard to the outerturbine-casing- The inner bearings 30 and 31 can be supplied with oilthrough the axial lubricating-tube 34. other bearings and thestuffing-box 29 can be approached from the engine-room, so that theirlubrication does also not present any diliiculties.

As the outer drum 11 of the paddle-wheel The IOO

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is only liXed to the turbine at one end and revolves loosely on theflanges 22 at the other end and since the stuing-box 21 allows ofdisplacement of the turbine with regard to the drum 20, injuriousstrains resulting from the heating of the turbine cannot be produced inthe longitudinal direction of the wheel.

ln the form of construction illustrated the turbine-casing is coupleddirectly with the wheel-drum; but there is of course no obstacle to theuse of an indirect coupling, so that the turbine, notwithstanding itsarrangement inside the wheel, can rotate far more rapidly than thelatter. lt may be stated, moreover, that the paddles of the wheel canalso be of angular or zigzag shape in order to reduce their impact withthe water.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the hull, of a water-tight casing mountedtherein and opening into the water, journals at the opposite ends of thecasing, a rotary drum within the casing and arranged to revolve in thesaid journals, the drum being provided on its exterior surface withpaddles, a turbine within the drum and secured directly thereto, andconnections with a source of steam-supply for causing' the turbine torotate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the hull and a water-tight casing mountedtherein opening into the water, of hollow journals at the opposite endsof the casing, a turbine rotatably mounted in said journals, awater-tight drum provided with paddles, and connections through saidhollow journals for admitting the motive fluid to the turbine andexhausting it therefrom, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the hull and a casing mounted therein openinginto the'water, of hollow journals at the opposite ends ofthe casing, aturbine rotatably mounted in said journals, a water-tight drum providedwith paddles, connections through said journals for admitting the motivefluid to the engine and exhausting it therefrom, and heat-insulatingmeans arranged between the turbine and the water-tight drum,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the hull and a casing supported therein andopening into the water, of hollow journals at the opposite ends of thecasing, a paddle-wheel comprising a water-tight drum rotatably supportedin said journals, and a turbine arranged within the drum, the innercasing of the turbine being stationary and secured within the hollowbearings and the outer casing thereof being se` cured to the drum andarranged to revolve about the inner casing, whereby motion is impartedto the said drum, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the hull provided with a casing opening into thewater, of a water-tight drum arranged therein and provided with paddles,a turbine-engine concentrically arranged within the drum, the endthrough which the motive fluid is delivered to the engine being securedto one head of the drum and the opposite head of the drum being providedwith a thrust-bearing, and connections with a source of supply foradmitting the motive fluid to the turbine-engine, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination with the hull and a casing opening into the water,journals at the opposite ends of the casing, a water-tight drum mountedin said journals, a turbine arranged within the said drum, the innercasing of the turbine being stationary and the outer casing beingrotatable and secured to the drum to rotate the same, and a stungboXarranged between the outer casing of the turbine and the drum to preventthe entrance of water therebetween, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the hull of a vessel provided with a casingopening into the water, of a paddle-wheel mounted in the casing andcomprising a tight drum to which the paddles are secured, aturbine-engine for driving the paddle-wheel mounted within the drumthereof` and consisting of a hollow rotating member carryingimpact-blades, means for directing the motive fluid against theimpactblades, and means for conveying away the motive fluid after it hasperformed its work. substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHANN CONRAD KUNST.

Witnesses:

C. DIEDERICH, IsIDoR HoYoRMANN.

